Madison County Oral Histories (60 total)

These oral history interviews were conducted by interviewers associated with Madison Historical and touch on various topics in Madison County history. These topics vary by interviewee.

Thumbnail	Title	Description	Date	Date Added
	Kathy Childers Oral History Interview	In this oral history interview, Kathy Childers discusses her family's Macedonian heritage and her father John Bellcoff, who was the mayor of Madison, Illinois from 1985 to 1997 and the Madison County Democratic Chairman from 1990 to 1994. She discusses how her family continues to practice Macedonian cultural traditions, including food, clothing, and dancing. She also describes her father's political career, including his role in establishing the Gateway Racetrack in Madison. She also discusses her grandfather's grocery store in Madison, Bellcoff and Son, and her and her father's work with funeral homes.	July 17, 2019	November 4, 2019
	Kathy Piercy Oral History Interview	In this interview, Kathy Piercy discusses her work with the Curtain's Up Theater Company, a community theater company in Madison County. She also discusses her job doing corporate productions for an accounting firm.	October 8, 2016	March 10, 2017
	Ken Conrady Oral History Interview	In this oral history interview, Ken Conrady describes his long career leading the Alton Youth Symphony. Conrady describes the symphony's early years, its relationship with local schools, and how it has changed over the decades.	October 11, 2018	December 4, 2018
	Kevin Hale Oral History Interview	Kevin Hale is a longtime employee of Olin Brass in East Alton, Illinois. In this oral history interview, Kevin discusses his childhood in East Alton, including Olin's influence on his family and the city. Kevin also discusses his time serving in the United States Marine Corps. Much of the interview concerns details of operations at Olin Brass and how the company's operations have changed over time, such as the increasing use of computers.	October 6, 2018	December 10, 2018
	Lisa Peck Oral History Interview	In this interview, Lisa Peck discusses working for both the Madison County government and the Highland government as a community planner. She discusses various changes to Highland in recent years.	October 30, 2016	March 10, 2017
	Martha Roberts Oral History	In this oral history interview, Martha Roberts describes her experiences with the Alton Municipal (Muny) Band since the 1980s. She discusses the band's history and her role as the band manager for the past five years. Please note: Initial audio recording on October 11 malfunctioned and recorded only the last portion of the interview. The interviewer recorded the first portion of the interview again on October 17.	October 11, 2018 to October 17, 2018	December 6, 2018
	Mary Huntley Oral History Interview	In this oral history interview, Mary Huntley describes her career as the director of the Hayner Public Library system in Alton, as well as her and her husband's involvement in the Civil Rights movement when they lived in Alabama. She also discusses her involvement with the local Democratic Party, her husband's role as director of the SIUE University Museum, and her childhood in North Carolina.	May 27, 2019	August 29, 2019
	Mary Kane Oral History	In this oral history interview, Mary Kane discusses her role with the Southwestern Illinois Metropolitan and Regional Planning Commission. In particular, she describes the establishment of the Missouri-Illinois regional partnership in the 1970s to create interstate public transportation in the St. Louis metro region.	April 18, 2018	September 13, 2018
	Mike McNamara Oral History Interview	In this oral history interview, Mike McNamara describes his life and career in Alton. McNamara describes his childhood and school years. He then goes into detail about his career with the Alton police department, including his promotions through the ranks and various high-profile crimes in Alton. McNamara also talks about his experience owning rental properties in Alton and reflects on how Alton changed over time.	October 11, 2018	December 6, 2018
	Mike Picchioldi Oral History Interview	In this oral history interview, Mike Picchioldi describes his experiences as a firefighter in Maryville and Edwardsville. He highlights his involvement with the Maryville historical society and his role in helping to preserve its history. He highlights the histories of Chinatown, the Donk Brothers Mine, the Homecoming Parade, as well as his grandparents mercantile business.	July 10, 2017	October 9, 2017